Cloth-cutting machine.



F. J. CLARK.

CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Aumo, 1915. 7

Patnted Sept. 12, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I". I. CLARK.

CLOTH CUTTING MACHINE.

1,197,795 APPLICATION FILED AUG. I0, l9I5' patentedseptl 12 2SHEETSQSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK J. CLARK, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 EASTMAN MACHINECOMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

CLOTH-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK J. CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Cloth-Cutting Machines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of cloth cuttingmachines in which a power-driven circular knife is mounted on a frame orcarriage adapted to be moved about by hand on a cutting table forcausing the knife to follow a desired pattern and cut through a lay ofcloth on the table. In order to cut satisfactorily the knife must befrequently sharpened, and the machine, as usual, is provided with knifesharpening means and is also preferably provided with a guard in frontof the knife to protect the hands of the operative. The sharpening ofthe knife coupled with the wear thereof incident to its cutting action,causes the knife to gradually decrease in diameter.

The objects of the present invention are to so mount the sharpeningmeans and the knife guard that they can be adjusted to maintain them inproper relation to the knife as the diameter thereof decreases, wherebythey will be equally effective after the knife decreases in size, and insuch a manner that all the adjustments can be readily and convenientlymade; also to provide an efiicient and desirable knife sharpening devicewhich is of simple, inexpensive and durable construction and can beeasily operated; and also to improve cloth cutting machines in the otherrespects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clothcutting machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe lower portion of the machine, showing the position of the knifesharpener and guard after the knife has been worn away somewhat. Fig. 3is a side ele vation of the lower portion of-the machine, showing theside opposite to that appearing in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a sectionalelevation of thelower partof'the machine on line 4-4:, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 isa horizontal section of the support carrying the knife guard and thesharpening device, on line 55, Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are perspectiveviews of the fixed and adjustable portions of the support for the knifesharpening device and guard. Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are views similarrespectively to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, showing a modified construction. Fig.11 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 12 is a section thereof on line1212, Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

The carriage or frame of the machine comprises a base plate 1 of usualconstruction, a standard 2 rising from the base, and a casing 3 mountedon said standard. The knife driving motor is housed within the casingand is connected by suitable inclosed gearing to the knife 4: which issuitably j ournaled on the standard 2. The lowerportion of the knifeextends into a slot formed in the base plate. These parts may be of anyusual or suitable construction and are the same in both of theconstructions illustrated.

13 represents two knife sharpening wheels or grinders located atopposite sides of the knife at the upper forward'portion thereof andadapted to be moved laterally into contact with the edge thereof forsharpening it, and 14 indicates an upright guard or bar supported infront of the knifeto-prevent injury to the operativeshands.

The knife grinders and the guard are adjustably mounted at the frontofthe machine in such manner that the grinders can be adjusteddownwardly and rearwardly toward the knife from time to time as may benecessary, to enable them to be maintained in substantially the samerelation to the edge of the knife notwithstanding the decreasingdiameter of the knife, and so that the guard can be adjusted rearwardlyto'keep it always in the desired proximity to the knife. The guard canthus be kept close enough to the edge of the knife to preclude thepossibility of the operative getting a finger in between the guard andthe knife and cutting it. Without such adjustment'of the guard the spacebetween the guardand the-knife would widen ,as thediameter of the knifedecreased. These adjustments are in addition to the movement of thegrinders into and out of grinding contact with the lmife, and of theusual vertical adjustment of the guard to suit lays of cloth ofdifferent thickness.

In the construction shown,'the grinders and guard are supported by aslide or plate 15 which is adjustable up and down on a bracket orsupport 16 which projects for.-

' end.

wardly from the casing 3, to which it can be secured in any suitable wayor with which it could be formed integrally. The slide plate 15 isarranged at one side of the bracket 16 and has a rib or tongue 17entering a guide groove 18 in the side of the bracket. A clamping screw19 passes through a slot 20 in the slide and a hole 21 in the bracket 16and has a nut 22 screwed on its threaded By tightening this nut theslide 15 can be clamped between the head of the screw and the bracket tothereby stationarily secure it on the bracket.

23 is an adjusting screw which is journaled and held from endwisemovement in a bearing slot 21 in the upper end of the slide 15 and has ascrew-threaded engagement in a hole passing through the clamping-screw19. The adjusting screw is provided at its upper end with a knurled knobor part for turning it. The slide 15 can be adjusted up or down to therequired extent by appropriately turning the screw 23 after firstloosening the clamping screw 19, and after the adjustment is effectedthe slide can be rigidly secured in position by again tightening theclamping screw 19. The guide groove 18 for the slide 15 preferablyinclines rearwardly more or less nearly in a direction toward the axisof the knife, so that as the slide is adjusted downwardly it also movesrearwardly sufficiently to insure the proper relation of the grinders tothe knife as the diameter of the latter decreases. The adjustable slideor support 15 could be differently constructed and adjustably mounted onthe machine and any other suitable adjusting and securing means thereforcould be employed.

The sharpening wheels or grinders 13 are suitably journaled by axles 25on two supporting arms 26 which are suitably pivoted at their upper endsto and depend from the slide 15. Preferably, these arms are pivoted onein front of the other on a pivot screw 27 projecting forwardly from alaterally extending part 28 of the slide 15 and consist of metal plateshaving their lower portions, in which the axles 25 are secured, bent toextend forwardly and rearwardly of the machine. The grinders arenormally held apart out of contact with the knife by a suitable spring29, such, for example, as a V-shaped spring wire having a loop seated ina circumferential groove in the head of the pivot screw 27 and the endsof its legs seated in holes in the grinder arms 26. The arms 26 areindependently movable and the grinders can be pressed against the edgeof the knife either singly or together to sharpen it on either or bothsides thereof, as may be desired, by pressing the grinder arms to- Wardthe knife. For thus operating the grinders the supporting arms 26, inthe construction shown in Figs. 1-7, are provided with forwardlyprojecting portions having holes 30 forming finger pieces or pinchhandles which can be readily grasped between the thumb and one fingerfor operating the grinders. In the construction shown in Figs. 813 thegrinders are operated by pinch handles 31 which project to one side fromthe upper ends of the grinder arms. Either of the constructionsdescribed can be used, as preferred, or other suitable means for operating the grinder arms could be used. The sharpening deviceconstructed in either of the ways described is very simple, but isconvenient and can be readily operated and is very eflicient in action.

The knife guard or bar 14: is secured in a suitable holder 32 having aguide 33 in which the bar is adapted to slide endwise and to be securedat different elevations, as may be necessary by reason of the thicknessof the pile of cloth being cut, by a binding screw 31. In theconstruction shown in Figs. 1-7, the guard holder 32 is pivoted at itsupper end at 35 to the slide 15 and is pivoted below the pivot 35 to thefront end of a link 36 which is pivoted at its rear end at 37 to thestationary bracket 16. Thus when the slide 15 is adjusted downwardly bythe adjusting screw 23, the link 36 swings downwardly and rearwardly andswings the lower portion of the guard rearwardly toward the knife. Thisadjustment is in addition to the usual adjustment of the guard todifferent elevations in the holder or guide 32. In this way the lowerend of the guard is moved rearwardly to a greater extent than it wouldbe by the inclination alone of the guide groove 18 for the slide 15, andthe guard can therefore be adjusted to keep it always close to the frontedge of the knife notwithstanding the decreasing diameter of the knife.

In the construction shown in Figs. 813, the guard 14 is slidably mountedand adapted to be secured at different elevations in a holder 38 just asabove described, but this holder, which is pivoted at 39 to the slide15, is adjusted by a screw 40 for swinging the guard rearwardly towardthe knife. The adjusting screw, see Fig. 12, is swiveled at its innerend in a bearing or part 41 on the slide 15 and turns in a screwthreadedhole in a swivel post 12 on the guard holder 38. By means of this screwthe guard can be adjusted toward and from the knife as may be necessaryby reason of the change in diameter of the knife to keep the guard inthe desired proximity to the edge of the knife.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the machine frameand a rotary knife, of sharpening devices arranged above the knife andadapted to be adjusted downwardly toward the same, and a knife guardwhich is movably mounted and is moved toward the knife by the downwardadjustment of the sharpening devices.

2. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and therotary knife, of rotary grinders for the knife mounted to move into andout of grinding contact with the knife and adjustable substantiallyparallel with the knife, a knife guard, and a single means for adjustingthe rotary grinders and the guard toward the center of rotation of theknife to maintain them in substantially constant relation to the knifeas its diameter decreases.

3. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and arotary knife, of a bracket supported by said frame, a movable membersupported by said bracket and adapted to be adjusted downwardly withrespect thereto, grinding means and a knife guard supported by saidmovable member, and means for moving said movable member relatively tothe bracket.

4:. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and therotary knife, of a movable support mounted on the frame to move relativthereto toward and from the knife, rotary grinders and a knife guardholder mounted on said movable support, said grinders being movable intoand out of grinding contact with the knife, a knife guard adjustable insaid holder, means for adjusting said support relatively to the knife,and means for adjusting the guard holder to move the guard toward theedge of the knife.

5. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and therotaryknife,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for of a movable support mountedon the frame to move relative thereto toward and from the knife, rotarygrinders and a knife guard holder mounted on said movable support, saidgrinders being movable into and out of grinding contact with the knife,a knife guard adjustable in said holder, means for adjusting saidsupport relatively to the knife, and means for causing the guard to movetoward the edge of the knife when said support is adjusted.

6. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and therotary knife, of rotary grinders arranged at opposite sides of the knifeand movable laterally into sharpening contact with the knife, a knifeguard, a support for the grinders and the guard mounted on the front ofthe frame and adjustable downwardly toward the knife, means for movingthe support relatively to said frame, and means for normally holding thesharpeners out of engagement with the knife. 7. In a cloth cuttingmachine, the combination with the frame and a rotary knife, of I a guardin front of said knife, a holder in which said guard is adjustableendwise up and down, and means for adjusting said holder to move theguard toward the knife in a plane substantially parallel with the planeof the knife.

8. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and arotary knife, of a guard in front of said knife which is adjustableendwise up and down, means for securing the guard in adjusted positions,and an adjusting screw and connections by which the guard is adjustedrearwardly to different positions toward the knife by turning saidscrew.

9.. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and arotary knife, of a guard in front of said knife, a slide to which saidguard is pivotally connected, means for adjusting said slide up anddown, and means for causing said guard to move relative to said slideand to the knife when said slide is adjusted.

10. In a cloth cutting machine, the combination with the frame and arotary knife, of knife grinders, arms on which said grinders arejournaled and which are pivoted above the knife and normally depend fromtheir pivotal connection and support the grinders at opposite sides ofthe knife and are adapted to swing laterally to place the grinders ingrinding contact with the knife, and a spring which normally holds thegrinders out of contact with the knife.

11. In a cloth cutting machine, the combi-' FREDERICK J. CLARK.

Witnesses:

C. W. PARKER, ADELINE L. MCGEE.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents. Washington,D. G.

